Me. Here. Right Now.: Henry Smull (1842)

Showing posts with label Henry Smull (1842). Show all posts

Monday, February 20, 2017

Smull Family Stories

Peter Smull, was one of three brothers of German descent who settled in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. Peter, a stone mason like brothers Henry and Jacob, eventually moved to Stephenson County, Illinois in the 1850s.

I believe I've confirmed these brothers were all children of Johan Peter Schmoll and Juliana Sarah Mueller.

FROM THE REST OF THE LINE

JESSE SMULL

Brothers Smull: Jesse Smull
Jesse Smull: Henry Bergey Smull
Jesse Smull Family: James Bergey Smull
Jesse Smull Family: John Francis Smull, DDS
James Bergey Smull Family: Judson Gray Smull, Jr.
James Bergey Smull Family: Jesse McGarvey Smull

WAGNER FAMILY

The Waggoner's of Centre County: William Wagner

William Joseph "Bill" Wagner, Professional Baseball Player

THE "OTHER" SMULL FAMILY

There is also a family of Smulls descended from Andrew Smull (1765-1818) who are often mixed in with "our" Smulls. While they followed a similar trajectory in pioneering, they are not from the same direct lineage. Still, some of them keep cropping up - and not in a good way.

The OTHER Smull Family, Pt 1 (Madam Della)
The OTHER Smull Family, Pt 2 (Robber Roy Smull)

Monday, December 12, 2016

Peter Smull Family: Henry Smull

PETER SMULL > HENRY SMULL m. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smith

Click on image to enlarge

Henry Smull (1842*) was born 23 Feb 1842 in Centre County, Pennsylvania, to Peter Smull and Mary Waggoner. He came with his family to Stephenson County, where he attended school. After school, he began working as a farm hand and also did carpentering on the side. On 04 Nov 1864, he married his wife Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smith, daughter of John S. and Catherine Smith. She was born on 23 Aug 1846 in Stepehenson County.

Please refer to the discussion of the parentage of Henry's father Peter here.

Smulls at work (left to right)
WW Smull (standing), Earl, Charles, Roy,
HA Smull (standing)

In 1875, they moved to Shelby County. Henry purchased a parcel of 80 acres to get his farm started, later adding to the holdings. In the intervening years, he worked to improve his property and effectively cultivate the land until he decided to retire. They moved into Macon in Shelby County and built a home. Even after his retirement, he retained 120 acres.

Henry was an independent in his politics, and according to the Portrait and Biographical Record of Macon County, 1893, "He has never been an office-seeker, in fact, has always avoided office, and though twice elected Justice of the Peace, refused to serve."

Henry died 01 Mar 1900 in Macon. His wife Lizzie lived to age 86 and died 22 Mar 1933 in Decatur, Illinois.

The Smulls had six children, two of whom died as the result of a horrible car-train accident and one in infancy.

1. William W. was born 21 Nov 1865 in Stephenson County, Illinois. He married Hannah Belle Curry on 17 Oct 1888 in Mowequa, Shelby County. The couple farmed. She was born 03 Sep 1863 in Indiana to Enos and Catherine Curry. William died 30 Dec 1931 in Penn, Shelby County and Belle on 22 Feb 1947. They had two children: Earl and Edith.

WW Smull Hannah Belle Curry Wedding

2. Henry Arthur Smull was born in Freeport, Stephenson County on 30 Dec 1867. He married Martha Jane "Mattie Denton" 26 Aug 1891 in Shelby County. She was the daughter of Johnathon Denton and Eliza Jane Campbell and was born on 01 May 1868 in Oconee, Shelby County. Henry also farmed. They had six children: Roy Arthur, Ethel, May Lucille, June, Gladys Ruth and Ferne. H. A. died 27 Mar 1954 in Decatur and Mattied preceded him on 20 Jun 1933 in Macon.

3. Bertha C. was born 07 Sep 1871 in Stephenson County and died 27 Feb 1947 in Decatur. She lived with her mother until her death and then retained the family home. In 1930, she was listed as a "gardener." She was critically injured in a car-train accident that killed her sister instantly and injured three other women. Bertha died of her injuries the following day.

4. Elizabeth was born 28 Jul 1876 in Shelby County and married Dr. Oscar F. Plummer in 1913.Dr. Plummer was a widower with two children: Harold and Fred. Dr. Plummer died 14 Jun 1938 in Macon and Elizabeth died 26 Feb 1947 in a car-train accident that took her sister's life and injured three others.

5. Charles E. was born 24 Feb 1879 in Shelby County. In 1910, he was clerking at Draper and Webb's drug store. He married Eula R. Kitch Koehler, a divorced woman with one child, in 1914. At that time, Charles was a restaurant keeper. He maintained his restaurant for 12 years until his death. Charles had a long illness and died 26 Feb 1925 in Macon. He had no children.

6. Pet was 22 Mar 1883 and died a month later in April in Shelby County.

* I will always refer to this Henry as Henry Smull (1842) in order to differentiate him from his uncle Henry who will play a part in the stories here. He will be referred to as Henry Smull.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Mystery Muddle: The Children of Peter Smull

Help Solve the Mystery

This is a continuation of the remaining mysteries of the Peter Smull line. His parentage is still a mystery and you can read about it here.

Peter Smull married Mary Waggoner (who are her parents, she asked?), most likely in Centre County, Pennsylvania before 1830. John Waggoner was the father and she had a brother William.

In searching through the cobbled together bits and pieces of various census and news articles, I've been able to identify 11 of the reported 12 children of the couple.

Catherine Smull b 1822 Centre Co. Penn; d 1876 Rock Run, Stephenson, IL m 1842, Pennsylvania; William Kryder, son of John and Susanna Keun, b 1821 in Pennsylvania; d 1902 Dakota, Stephenson, IL. He remarried after her death to Sarah Crock. I've located six children: James Henry, Lydia, Mary Elizabeth, John J, Susannah Elmira, and Norman.

Sarah Ann Smull b 1822 Centre Co Penn; d 1892 Dakota, Stephenson, IL m date UNK David Kryder, son of John and Susanna Keun, b 1823 Pennsylvania; d 1889 Dakota, Stephenson, IL. One child: Samuel (1856-1864)

Mary Smull b 1824 Centre Co Penn; d 1908 Dakota, Stephenson, IL m (1) John Meyer 1844, Pennsylvania, d 1848; One child: Jacob. m (2) George Frantz 1849, Pennsylvania. He was born in 1822 in Pennsylvania and died 1889 in Dakota, Stephenson, Illinois. Three Frantz children: Anna, Henry T and George McClellan (moved to Canada and pioneered in Starbuck, Manitoba.

UNKNOWN SMULL MALE. Believe this son was born between 1826-1830 based on back-tracing the 1830 and 1840 Peter Smull Census.

I'm trying to dissect the various Smulls in Stephenson County to deduce who this man was. If you have information that will help solve this mystery, please let me know by leaving a comment.

Matilda Rebecca SMULL b 1828, Centre Co Penn; d 1915 Stephenson Co, Illinois; m Daniel Meyer, 1851, Miles, Centre Co, Penn; son of Henry Meyer and Hannah Bierly, b 1831 Centre Co Penn; d Dakota, Stephenson, Illinois. I've located nine children: Sarah A, Dora Hannah, Newton Henry, Thomas Ephriam, John Franklin, Peter David, Emma Jane, Effie Susan, and Mary

Julia Ann Smull b 1830 Centre Co, Penn; d 1912 Dakota, Stephenson, Illinois m 1847, Penn; (1) John Haas, son of David Haas and Barbara Mitterling. b 1832 Juniata Co Penn; d 1881 Stateline, Vilas, Wisc., one daughter, Ida, died a spinster, 1938 m bef 1889 (2) UNK Miller

Peter L Smull, SR b abt 1833, Centre Co Penn; d 13 Sep 1900, Dakota, Stephenson Co; Ill at the home of his sister Matilda; m 1861 Rebecca Cronoble (this may have translated from Grenoble and been listed as Grenoble in Pennsylvania); three sons b abt 1835 d UNK probably Stephenson Co, Ill.

Peter is a bit of a mystery. He's referenced in the local paper once in a while and at least for a time, worked as a shoemaker, but he remains a big question mark.
His first child Peter L Jr doesn't seem to have lived with his parents. In 1860 he was living with grandparents Peter and Mary and in 1860, he was a 12-year-old living in the household of Simon & Rebecca Rote in Lancaster, Ill. I would guess as a hired hand.
Second son, Oscar Samuel is with his parents in 1870 and in 1880, when he was 18 and a farm hand for CA and Sarah Sullivan.
No records exist for Rebecca Cronoble (possibly Grenoble) either, other than as referenced parent on various documents related to the children. No death record is available for her or Peter L Sr
The last news item related to this Peter is in 1900. He is not listed as a survivor on his sister Mary Frantz's obituary from 1908, so I would peg his death at sometime between 1900 and 1908. *Update (2/28/2017): I found an obscure reference to his death on 13 Sep 1900 in a Rockford newspaper gossip column. He died at the home of his sister Matilda Meyer in Dakota.

Johnathan Smull b 1834 Centre Co Penn; d 1885 Bradford, Chickasaw Co, Ia; m 1860 Monroe, Wisc Mary Jane Cooper, daughter of William Lloyd Cooper and Elizabeth Beams, b 1842 Rock Grove, Stephenson Co, Ill; d 14 Feb 1905; Plainfield, Bremer, Ia. They had eight children: Ulysses (died as a young man), Franklin Sylvester, Jennie Elnora, Viola Geneva, Katie Mabel, Saidee L, Florence, and Amy, who died as an infant/young child.

Adam Smull b 1836 Centre Co Penn; d 1868 Stephenson, Ill; m 1859 Green Co Wisc; Mary Moses; b 1836 Penn; d 1929 Dakota, Stephenson, Ill. Mary and Adam had no children. She did not remarry.

Samuel Smull b 1840 Centre Co Penn; d 1919 Clark, South Dakota; m 1866 Mitchell, Ia; Lorena Thompson; daughter of Daniel Thompson and Ann Cooper; b 1850 Illinois; d 1918 Clark, South Dakota. They had two sons, Betran and Leon Willis.

Henry Smull b 1842 Cente Co Penn; d 1900 Macon, Macon, Ill; m 1864 Stephenson, Ill; Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smith; b 1846 Stephenson, Ill; d 1933 Decatur, Macon, Ill. He had six children: William W, Henry Arthur, Bertha C (never married), Elizabeth "Lizzie" Plummer, Charles E, and Pet (who died in infancy).

Charlotte Amanda Smull b 1844 Miles, Centre, Penn; d 1883 Dakota, Stephenson, Ill. Charlotte was classified as an "idiot" and lived with her parents and finally with sister Julia and husband John Haas until her death.

I'd be very glad to have people poke holes in this theory of descendancy. And, if you have other information, I'm dying to get all the mysteries solved from the seat at my desk because it's not likely I'll ever get to Centre County!